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StatPearls
Book. 2018 01
Authors:
Abstract
Auto-brewery syndrome or gut fermentation syndrome is a condition in which ethanol is produced through endogenous fermentation in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Spontaneous ethanol production occurs via a different metabolic pathway. Auto-brewery syndrome occurs in patients with alcohol intoxication after they ingest carbohydrate-rich meals. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of yeast, is identified as the pathogen. Endogenous fermentation or auto-brewery syndrome has been used as a defense against drunk driving charges although there is no literature quantifying the success rate of raising this defense. However, it is unlikely auto-brewery syndrome would cause significant levels of blood alcohol that would be high enough to induce intoxication that would produce illegal levels of blood alcohol. A variation of the disease occurs in individuals with liver dysfunction that prevents them from excreting alcohol in a normal fashion. Patients develop signs and symptoms of auto-brewery syndrome when the yeast in the gut produces a quantity of alcohol that is too meager to induce intoxication in a normal individual but may induce signs and symptoms in individuals afflicted with auto-brewery syndrome.
PMID: 30020718